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J. F. THAYER. BUTTON SETTING INSTRUMENT.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. THAYER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUTTON-SETTING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,480, dated September 15, 1891.

Application filed December 6, 1890. Serial No. 373,818. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES F. THAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Setting Instruments; andIdo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters intermittingly withdrawing a button and'fastener from the reservoir and attaching it to the fabric or shoe by the action of said jaw members.

The button-setting instrumentforming the subject of my present application for patent consists, essentially, of a lower jaw or anvil, a fixed vertically-arranged holder or guide secured to and moving in unison with the lower jaw, adapted to receive threaded buttons and fasteners, a removable tube or magazine also adapted to contain similar buttons and fasten ers, communicating with said holder, yielding stops for arresting or supporting the column of buttons and fasteners and checking them singly from the bottom of the column, a pivotally mounted upper jaw arranged and adapted to actuate said stops, and a driver secured to the free end of the movable jaw, all constructed and arranged whereby the act of opening the jaws in the upstroke checks off and releases the lowest button and fastener from the lower end of the column, which immediately drops to the lower portion of the holder, so that the jaw in its return or down stroke engages the said button and fastener and forces the prongs thereof through the leather or fabric and against the anvil, thereby clinching the prongs and attaching the button.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved button-setting instrument, a button being shown in position to be attached to the fabric upon bringing the jaws together. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the relation of the parts at the end of the attaching operation. Fig.3 is a partial front elevation of the holder, &c., the buttons being omitted. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 7; o of Fig. 3, the relation of the parts in this and the preceding figure corresponding with that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 0000 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View taken transversely through the center of the upper portion of the holder, 850., corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig.

7 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the holder and movable jaw, thelatter being in the act of withdrawing the spring-stop from the lowest button and fastener. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 0 o of Fig. 2.. Fig. 9 is a top view of the tube or reservoir. Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken on line a a of Fig. 1, and Fig. 11 is an end view of the upper jaw.

A more detailed description of the construction and manner of operation of my improved button-setting instrument is as follows:

The implement as a whole is designated by A.

The two handle members 0, b are provided with jaws to b, respectively, jointed together at p, the lower handle having secured thereto a spring 8, the free end of which bears against the upper member a. The outer or free end of the jaw of constitutes an anvil, in which is mounted the setting-die a arranged to bend and clinch the two prongs of the fasteners f.

' To one side of and parallel with the handle a is secured by screws 0 an arm a. The front or free end is enlarged, and consists of two parts secured together by a screw 0 (See Fig. 8.) longitudinally-grooved vertical sides d, whose upper ends d are attached together at the back. These sides, combined with a grooved piece 61 fitted therein, form a stationary guide To this enlarged end are fixed two or runway and holder for the buttons at and threaded fasteners f as they are intermittingly dropped from the arrester m soon to be described. I

The magazine or button and fastener holding tube 15 is removably secured to the upper portion of the stationary guide. The tubeis provided at the back with a central longitudinal narrow groove r, a corresponding opening r being formed in the front of the tube. Said grooves are adapted to receive the eyes or shanks n of the buttons, thereby also serving as a lateral guide. Side grooves r are formed in the tube, along which the fasteners freely travel. A spring-stop t at the upper end of the tube prevents the buttons from dropping out.-

The magazinetis fitted into a socket formed in the upper portion of the stationary guide d, as stated, a spring on, secured to the latter, holding the tube in place. As shown, this spring extends downwardly through the enlargement d and terminates in the outwardly-bent end m arranged to engage and arrest the column of buttons and fasteners. (See Fig. 6.) Contiguous to this spring stop is formed a lateral extension m, the same be ing in engagement with a short arm e of a latch e, pivoted to one side of the head-cl. From the foregoing it is apparent that upon forcing the stop m rearwardly, or as shown in Fig. 4, the buttons and fasteners wouldinstantly fall and fill the holder and clog it. In order to prevent such clogging of the holder, I provide a yielding normally stationary check h, having its upper portion h extending across the front of the holder and at an angle thereto, its inner face being some distance above the stop m and in engagement with the lowest button of the column, thereby forming a separator. (See Figs. 1 and 4.) A pin a", secured to the holder, limits the downward movement of the latch, and consequently limits the forward movement of the spring-stop m The free end 9 of the upper jaw member I) is reduced or made somewhat narrower than the body portion, (see Fig. 5 and also Figs. 1', 7, and 11,) in order that it may enter the rear space formed by the lateral separation of the two sides (I. The said end 9 of the jaw is provided with a downwardly-extending driver or die g, having a vertical slot 9 Figs. 3 and 11, in its lower end arranged to receive the buttoneye or edgewise, the adjacent ends of the die at the same time being beveled or adapted to engage the upper portion of the buttonfastener f, so that on applying sufficient pressure to the jaw the driver acts to force the prongs of the fastener downwardly through the fabric or material f and clinch them thereunder, the setting-die a at the same time deflecting the prongs laterally for that purpose. Thejawb' is further provided with a pin arranged to engage an arm e of the said latch 6, thereby controlling the movement of the stop m The pin is further adapted to engage the yielding check h for the purpose of regulating the movement of the separator h, used forchecking off the buttons. 1 The relation of the pin t', &c.,to the latch and check may be adjusted by means of a stop 8, attached to the handle a by a screw 8 passing through a slotted opening formed in the stop. (See dotted lines 8 Fig. 1.)

The operation of the implement A in use may be described as follows: Assuming, first, that the fabric or leatherfand the button at to be next attached thereto are in place, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) now upon vibrating the handle b in the arrow direction the result of such movement will be to force the jaw 6 downwardly or in the downstroke, its first action then being to withdraw the pin 2' from engagelnent with the latch e, the spring on immediately carrying the latter. to its limit against the stop 2", thus placing the arrester or stop m in position below and in line with the column of buttons and fasteners sup ported by the separator h. The continued movement of the jaw next brings the pin 1' into engagement with the yielding check h, resisted by the pin t", and forces the separator away from the column of buttons, which then drops a short distance-equal, say, to the diameter of a buttonor until arrested by the stop m the final movement of the jaw in its downstroke causing the driver 9 to engage the fastener and force the prongs thereof through the leather and clinching them, the die a at the same time assisting in the operation, the relation of the several parts then being substantially as represented by Figs. 2, 5, and 6. The jaw now in its upstroke, assisted by the spring s, acts first to remove the pin i from the spring-check 71, thus allowing the latter to automatically return to its normal position against the pin t", its upper end portion h thereby passing over the lower button of the column (being the next to be attached) and into engagement with the adjacent button. (See Fig. 7.) The further andfinal movement of thej aw upwardly vibrates the latch through the medium of the pin t', thereby withdrawing the arresterm from the lower button and fastener, which immediately drop past the driver to the lower portion of the holder, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, ready to be attached upon repeating the operation before described.

I would add that the front opening 1' and lateral grooves r, formed-in the lower portion of the holder, are made, preferably, somewhat narrower than the corresponding opening and grooves formed in the other portion of the holder and magazine. This is done to prevent the fastener from dropping too far upon being released from the stop m as otherwise the projecting prongs of the fastener would seriously interfere with a withdrawal of the Work from the instrument. It will be seen by referring to Fig. 3 that the lower end of said opening 7" is well rounded, as at g thus readily permitting the removal of the work at the FIG front after the button is attached to the fabricf and in advance of and preparatory to setting the succeeding button.

From the foregoing it is obvious that a button-attaching machine embodying my improvements is very simple in construction and manner of operation, the several parts coacting in a positive manner and producing practically perfect work, its capacity being limited only by the ability of the operator to manipulate it.

A number of the tubes or magazines are kept charged with threaded buttons and fasteners, ready to be substituted and attached singly to the instrument as fast as the empty ones are removed.

It will be seen that, although the handles or jaws are jointed together, really but one jaw or member 6 b is practically movable to'any extent, and this simply carries the driver g and a pin c' or other equivalent means, which upon vibrating the jaw engages and controls the movement of the check-plate h and yielding arrester or stop m The other jaw or member a is provided with a holder d, &c., to which the magazine, check-plate, latch, spring m, and its extensions m m are attached. By this arrangement, as before described, the work is withdrawn directly from the lower part at the front of the holder (1, because the vertical space M, Fig. 3, between the end of the holder and face of the anvil is too small or narrow to allow the work to be removed by withdrawing the attached button from the end of the holder. In this, as well as in some other respects, my invention differs from other buttonattaching machines. The' supplemental tube d fitted into the side grooves of the holder d, is practically a continuation of the tube t. (See Figs. 3, 4, and 5.) This is done because it is cheaper to thus make the holder than it would be to attempt to form the narrow grooves 7" r in the holder itself.

I claim as my invention 1. A button-setting instrument having a a pair of pivoted jaws, a holder or guide adapted to receive a column of threaded buttons and fasteners, the holder being arranged between the jaws and moving in unison with the lower jaw or anvil member, mechanism for intermittingly checking a button and fastener from the column, and a driver secured to the upper jaw member, arranged to move between the two sides of said holder and engage the fastener, substantially as described.

2. In a button-setting instrument, the combination of a pair of pivoted jaw members, a holder or guide mounted between the jaws and arranged in a fixed position or relation to the lower jaw or anvil member, two yielding stops actuated and controlled by the movement of the opposite or upper jaw member for intermittingly checking off a combined butv and arranged to force the prongs of a fastener through the fabric or material and clinch them thereunder, the combination therewith of a button and fastener holder,- as 61, arranged between said jaws and secured to the lower or die-carrying member, two yielding stops mounted on said holder portion, a pin or projection secured to the upperjaw member, arranged in vibrating the jaw to intermittingly engage and control the action of the stops, and a'removable tube or magazine attached to and communicating with the upper end of said holder, substantially as described.

4:. A button-setting instrument having two jointed jaw members arranged to attach buttons to fabric or other suitable material, a holder or runway secured to the lower jaw or die-carrying member, the mouth of the holder being in close proximity to the face of the die and in a fixed relation thereto, and yielding stops actuated and controlled by the movement of the upper jaw, substantially as hereinbefore described, and for the purpose set forth. 4

5. In a button-setting instrument, the combination, with an anvil member havinga button and fastener holder or guide in a fixed or unchanging position or relation to said member, of a pivoted arm or member and a driver secured thereto, arranged to work from the rear of the holder, for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. TI-IAYER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES HANNIGAN, F. A. SMITH, Jr. 

